"When I shot these images, it was a dark time in Iran's history," says Newsha Tavakolian. "It was a time of extreme pressure on the public, especially on the youth, who were all struggling under the imposed restrictions." Curious about the isolated lives of the middle-class youth in Tehran, Tavakolian staged images based on the real stories of her friends and neighbours to depict a society that the photographer believes is often reduced to exaggerated stereotypes in western media, and to give a more accurate portrayal of "normal people" in Iran

Look, by Newsha Tavakolian, is part of
Burnt Generation at Somerset House, London, 10 April–1 June

“This girl has come out of the shower. All the subjects are at first sight normal people, but their lives are defined by the state’s morals and regulations”Photograph: Newsha Tavakolian/ Polaris images for NYTimes

"The set took place in my own bedroom. Once they were there it was as if they were somehow silently confessing all their inner emotions and that is what I tried to capture"Photograph: Newsha Tavakolian/ Polaris images for NYTimes

"I chose 8pm [to take the photographs] because the quality of light in Tehran at that time makes it difficult to decipher whether it's dawn or dusk"Photograph: Newsha Tavakolian/ Polaris images for NYTimess

Tavakolian's images aim to break away from western stereotyping: “Iranian society is often perceived in the west in solely two manners: the angry bearded men on [one] side and an exaggerated image of a sexualised youth culture… bearded or Barbie”Photograph: Newsha Tavakolian/ Polaris images for NYTimes

Here Tavakolian shows a man shaving to draw attention to her feeling that, “Men in Iranian society are often perceived as angry and bearded in the west”Photograph: Newsha Tavakolian/ Polaris images for NYTimes

“With this image, I wanted to show the vulnerability of a young woman in Iran. She and my other subjects are the middle class in Iran that is never shown”Photograph: Newsha Tavakolian/ Polaris images for NYTimes